Burnout
by Phalanges1
Summary: Felicity was slowly coming to the realization that they couldn't drag it out any longer. Their marriage was over.
1. Chapter 1

Felicity Smoak had had a long, tiring day and she was more than ready for it to end, preferably with her under the bed covers long before midnight. A vein in her temple started to throb as she realized that this was not a possibility. Her meeting with the budget committee for a new project had not gone well and she had to prepare a new proposal. On top of that, the Nanny had to take the day off due to a family emergency. All that stress combined had wrecked her mood.

She clicked the lock open to the front door, dropped her bag, keys, tablet and phone on the console table in the foyer and made her way into the townhouse she called home.

'About time you got here, Smoak' greeted Roy Harper from where he was lounging on the Sofa. 'FYI the two year old hates me and I've got a vomit soaked shirt to prove it.' After looking surreptitiously around, he added 'Also, do not tell Oliver but I am currently wearing one of his tees underneath the hoodie.'

'Really, is he okay? What happened?' Felicity panicked, making her way into the nursery to check on her baby, pulled out once finding him sound asleep.

'Kid's fine. Apparently he didn't want to let go of the Nanny. This was retribution, plain and simple. This is what I get for pulling him out of her warm, loving arms'

'Oh Roy, don't be such a drama queen. Did he create a scene, though?' She began pacing as other unpleasant thoughts made their way into her mind. 'Should I be worried he's becoming too dependent on Julia. I know I haven't been spending enough time with the kids, what with everything that's going on at work. It's possible that he's feeling abandoned. Am I a horrible mother Roy? Should I…' Felicity trailed off when she caught the look of bemused annoyance on Roy's face. On top of everything, her head ache was not letting up. This was going to be a long evening, she just knew it.

'Dude shut up! Those kids are the luckiest little brats alive and only because you're their Mom. Will you stop pacing? Come sit here with me, relax! Oh and it took me two hours to get in character for Evil Uncle Roy to scare Jake and Kira into doing their homework so you better not go distract them with hugs otherwise you and I are gonna have a problem.'

'Fine' she huffed, settling down next to Roy on the couch, placing her head on his shoulder.' By the way, you are never calling my children brats ever again. They are perfectly well-mannered little angels' to which Roy snorted. 'And you're taking this babysitting thing a little too seriously. Tone it down a notch?'

'Only if you tell me what's wrong'

'It's nothing' she said softly. 'Just had a really bad day at work and I'm tired. So tired'

'You need a vacation' Roy wrapped his arm around her and let her rest her head on his shoulder.

A noise in the foyer made them both look up. 'Must be Oliver'

Oliver Queen closed the door with a little more force than necessary then made his way to the pair on the couch.

'The front door was open' Gritted Oliver through his teeth ignoring Roy completely, choosing instead to glare at his wife who was not intimidated in the least.

'Yeah well you were just behind me'

'I wasn't. I left to pick up my dry cleaning.' He said and made a move toward the bedroom before changing his mind and rounding up on Felicity again. 'Can you stop being so careless about the security of this household? This is as good as an invitation for someone to come in and hurt you and the kids.' With that Oliver retreated to his bedroom but not before giving Roy what he fondly calls, a Death Glare.

'He is such a Douche, I don't know how you put up with him' Felicity clamped her palm on Roy's mouth to silence him.

'Roy, not another word, if you please' She released her hand from Roy's face and began massaging her temple. The other, she used to pull her shoes off.

'Seriously Fliss, you deserve better than all the doom and gloom he's had to offer you lately. What is going on between you too?

'I don't know myself' sighed Felicity, getting up from the couch and heading over to the kitchen. 'Come on, give me a hand with dinner'

'I draw the line at being the emergency Nanny, thanks' Called out Roy, settling in more comfortably, propping up his feet in the place she had just vacated. 'I should leave'

'No! Stay for dinner' Said Felicity pulling out pans from the kitchen cupboard. 'We'll watch a movie after I put the kids to bed, I'll even let you pick. Just for tonight I'll stomach the senseless killing, bloodshed and ludicrous plots too. One time offer, Harper '

'Weren't you tired enough to pass out like five minutes ago? Asked Roy, skeptically 'I do not want to be in close proximity to your asshole of a husband so there isn't much you can do to convince me right now' Walking around the island and pressing a kiss to Felicity's forehead, he added 'Well, if you'll tell me about the problems you're having with that Dementor that you keep sweeping under the rug, I shall reconsider' getting a slap on his arm in return from his friend.

'Dementor? Seriously?'

'What? He sucks the happiness out of everything!'

Felicity couldn't help but laugh 'You've been raiding my kid's bookshelf again?' she asked with a fond smile.

'Jake gave me permission to borrow so we're good but don't change the subject, tell me…'

Oliver's voice rang out the house drowning whatever Roy was about to say 'Felicity, has anyone been inside my closet?'

'Oh shit! That's my cue to get outta here' Roy ran to the door before Oliver could make it back out of the room.

Felicity pressed her forehead against the cool cabinet door, she didn't think it was possible but her headache had just gotten worse.


	2. Chapter 2

Oliver Queen was fuming. He had explicitly told everyone concerned not to breach the sanctity of his room. Least of all the walk-in wardrobe that he shared with Felicity but it appeared that someone had braved a break-in. After the Island, he had lost interest in all his creature comforts but some things crept back after building a whole life, a new family, a home in Starling City. He wasn't fussy about much but his closet was out of bounds. It was difficult to keep things safe and out of reach from kids so it was imperative to create a space where no one was allowed to trespass.

That was the rule; no one was allowed to trespass.

He knew it wasn't any of his offspring, he had trained them well, even the toddler. The Nanny would never be so rude. That only left that pitiful excuse of a human being. Roy. Roy had barged in his wardrobe and messed his things around. He was pretty sure something was missing too but he didn't have time to dwell on that because the rage he was currently feeling was all-consuming, drowning out that dim voice of his conscience telling him he was being churlish.

He didn't want to involve Felicity in this but it was inevitable, the words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop them, louder than he intended.

'Felicity, has anyone been inside my closet?'

He walked out to find Felicity pressed against the kitchen cabinet. Roy was nowhere to be seen.

'Roy had to borrow a t shirt, Aaron puked all over him and he didn't…'

'Roy, what -?' Oliver ground out, his voice rising in decibels.

'Keep your voice down' Felicity glared at him waving her arm in the direction of the kids' rooms. She wanted to strangle him. 'He was doing us a favor by looking after our children and he didn't have a spare shirt. He obviously couldn't borrow from me so it makes perfect sense…'

Oliver cut her off again 'He is not allowed to touch my things let alone wear them'

'So you'd rather he prance around the house naked? It was a one-time thing. Why are you acting like a child?' She pleaded.

'I'd prefer that - forget it, he's not allowed in the house anymore. You want to meet him? Go to his place or see him elsewhere, he's not going to come here anymore' saying his piece he turned to go back to his room.

'The hell he's not!' roared Felicity, stopping him dead in his tracks.

'Mommy'

'What's going on?'

Oliver groaned. His daughter, aged 7 was standing a few feet away looking up at them with wide, scared eyes.

His 10 year old son, however, had something akin to a poker face on and was staring intently at his mother. He glanced at his wife; she looked like she'd had the wind knocked out of her. It took her a minute to recover.

'Hey babies, Dad and I were just having a little discussion that…er, got a little spirited…ahem'

'Sounded like you were fighting' Jake countered, skeptical of his mother's bald-faced lie.

Felicity gulped 'Well, something very grave has happened. Uncle Roy did the unthinkable; he got into Dad's closet.'

There were two audible gasps from the little humans. Oliver shook his head in annoyance.

'There's more. He also stole a clothing item'

Kira shrieked. Jake yelled 'No way!'

Oliver raised his head to the heavens asking for patience to deal with the situation because he was about done.

Felicity continued, seemingly oblivious that Oliver was about to rupture a nerve. 'I do not need to tell you how angry he is so you better go hide in your rooms until I call you out for dinner'

The two shot a look at their parents then scampered off to their rooms.

Felicity finally turned around to face Oliver who was seething, still.

'What the hell was that?' He demanded lowering his voice to an eerie whisper.

'I didn't want to lie. Come to think of it, nothing truly creative popped in my head either. Those improvisational theatre classes were clearly a waste of…'

'You made a mockery of my concern for my possessions, in front of my kids, no less'

'All I heard was a lot of 'my this and my that' in that sentence. Lose the ego, Oliver. It is very unbecoming' She spat out.

'You want to be unreasonable about this? Fine. But I won't tolerate Harper in my presence anymore and he is not entering my home.'

Not leaving Felicity with any room to have the last word, Oliver grabbed his keys from the bowl in the foyer and left the house.


End file.
